Blind stitch button sewing machine



March 28, 1933. M. McCANN 9 3,

' BLIND TIT CH BUTTON SEWING MACHINE' Filed April 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 28, 1933 M. McCANN 1.903,057

- BLIND STITCH BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed April 1 1950' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 van; an: 1-1 v 1 Iv CUE VA UAUB n UAUOUAU i IRUJUJUURURUAUAUG B UAUAUAUAUAVA! m: 1| JQUAVDUAIAUM'AUAUA I mamvnmmmm HIJVJURUAUAVAVAVD w ww Patented Mar. 2 8, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MICHAEL MCCANN, OF ST. ALBAN S, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T FREDERICK OSANN COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BLIND STITCH BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to machines for attaching buttons by blind stitches, that is, by stitches which do not show on the back face of the cloth. More particularly it relates to improved mechanism for holding the button and the work in the proper relation for the sewing operation.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation partly broken away and in section of a button sewing machine equipped with the subject matter of this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation to an enlarged scale and showing the cloth in section and a button held in proper relation thereto for the sewing operation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the button attached.

Figure 5 is a top plan of the cloth plate.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the button attached to work, both being removed from the machine and the button pulled away to form a thread shank ready for wrapping.

Referring to the drawings, in Figures 1 and 2 is shown a well known form of button sewing machine having a base 1, a stitching arm 2 upstanding therefrom and carrying at its forward end a stitching head 3. In this stitching head is mounted a needle bar 4 which is slidable axially through a sleeve 5 pivoted at 6 to a portion of the head. The needle bar is thus capable of reciprocator'y and lateral vibratory motions. The former motion is produced by any suitable means such as a rock shaft 7 having an arm 8 thereon pivotally connected by a link 9 to a collar 10 fixed to the needle bar. The lateral vibrating motions of the needle bar are shown as produced by a lever 12 fulcrumed at 13 and having its forward portion as at 14 pivotally connected to a sleeve 15 through which the needle bar 4 is slidable. Within the base 1 is shown a common form of looper with which the needle 21 carried by the needle bar 4 may cooperate to form chain stitches; It should be understood, however,

1930. Serial No. 444,367.

that a two-thread or look stitch machine might be employed if desired.

0n the upper face of the base portion 1 beneath the stitching head is fixed a cloth plate 25 shown detached in Figure 5. This plate may be rigidly secured to the base 1 as by means of screws passed through screw holes 26 in its rear end. Upstanding from this cloth plate is a gage member 27. This member has a rigid portion 28 fixedly secured to the cloth plate 25 as by means of rivets or other securing means 29. Another portion 30 of this gage member is connected to the rear end of the fixed portion 28, as shown being formed integral therewith, this portion 30 having its forward end adjustable laterally of the cloth plate. As shown the portions 28 and 30 are integral, being separated throughout the major portions of their lengths as by means of a kerf 31. At 32 is shown a throat through the cloth plate for the passage of the needle during its sewing strokes, and in substantial register therewith is a notch 33 in the adjacent face of the gage portion 30. This gage portion 30 may be adjusted across the throat plate to a limited extent as by means of an adjusting screw 35 threaded through the portion 28 and having its inner end bearing against the portion 30. The resiliency of the parts is such as to hold the portion 30 against the inner end of the adjusting screw 35 but by turning this adjusting screw inwardly, the portion 30 may be sprung away from the portion 28 to the desired extent. The inner edge portion 36 of this gageforms an abutment against which the folded edge of work, as shown at 40, may be positioned for the sewing operation.

At 42 is shown a work gage for determining the spacing of the button from the marginal edge of the cloth. As shown this gage has a shank portion 43 provided with a longitudinal slot through which'passes asecur' ing screw 44 threaded into a block 45 fixed as by rivets 46 to the top face of the cloth plate. By reason of the slot to receive the screw 44 this gagemay be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly in accordance with the spacing desired for buttons in from the margin of the work. This gage 42 has its gaging face extended laterally of the cloth plate, this gage, and the gaging member 30, being formed to be contacted by angularly related edges of the work.

At 50 is shown a clamp for holding a button in proper position above the folded edge of the work and also for holding the work against the cloth plate when properly positioned with relation to the gage member 30. As shown best in Figure 2, this clamp comprises a pair of laterally spaced jaws 51 and 52 and a rear jaw 53 which may be spring pressed toward. each other in any usual manner, button clamps of this general nature being well known in the art. The jaw 51, however, in this clamp is somewhat difierent from the jaw 52, having at its under side a downwardly projecting foot 54, which, when the button is clamped by the jaws and it is in position down against the work, engages the work back somewhat from its folded edge and presses it firmly against the upper face of the cloth plate.

In order that the foot 54 may be correctly positioned when buttons of different sizes are to be attached, it is shown as adjustable laterally of the jaw 51. To this end it is formed as part of a lip member underlying the bottom margin and provided with a shank portion 60 which is secured to the jaw 51 by a screw 61 about the axis of which it may be angularly adjusted as desired, which varies the extent of projection of its lip member relatively to the button. This screw 61 also secures in position on the top face of the jaw 51 a spring lip 62 which projects over the edge of the button. The jaw 52 may have a similar upper spring lip 63 secured thereto as by a screw 65, and a lower lip member 64. The lip member 64 is provided with a foot and when the clamp member is lowered it rests above the gage portion 30. lVhile the left hand jaw as viewed in Figures 3 and 4 is shown as provided with the foot 54, either jaw could be so provided, depending on which side of the cloth plate the gage 30 is positioned.

As is usual with machines of this type, the clamp 50 is pivotally mounted at its rear end as at 55 and may be raised to release the work from the cloth plate by any suitable means such as the chain 56 (see Figure 1), the upper end of which is pivoted to an arm 57 fixed to a rock shaft 58, which may be actuated by any suitable means such as a treadle (not shown) to raise the clamp 50 from the work. The jaws 51, 52 and 53 may be separated by any suitable means, such as heretofore commonly used in the art to release the button.

W'hen a button such as is engaged by the button clamp and permitted to drop in place above the folded edge of the work one of the sewing holes in the button as at (1 is positioned above the work while another sewing hole 72 is positioned beyond the folded edge and in alinement with the notch 33 of the gage. hen a four-hole button is to be sewed, two holes will be above the work and the other two beyond the work edge. If now the sewing operation be performed the button will be attached to the work as illustrated in Figure 4, the stitches passing alternately through the holes 71 and 7 2 and when passing through the hole 71 also passing through the work. By adjusting the gage portion 30, the distance back from the folded edge at which the stitches pass through the work may be adjusted so that when it is desired that the stitches shall not show on the back face of the work, their bight into the work may be less than the work thickness.

It is usually desirable in work of this character that a neck of threads be left between the rear face of the button and the work which may be bound in any suitable manner, as, for example, in accordance with the disclosure in my patent application Serial No. 427,7 85, filed February 12, 1930, for shanking buttons, and for this purpose it is only necessary that the parts be so proportioned as to support the button 70 a desired distance above the work during the stitching operation. As shown, therefore, in Figures 3 and 4 the gage 30 and the foot 54 are of such thickness as to hold the button elevated above the work. After the stitching operation has been completed the button clamp is raised and the work and button removed from the machine, whereupon by holding the button spaced from the work as far as is permitted by the thread loops, a shank portion shown at 75 in Figure 6 of the stitching threads may be left which may be wound to provide the desired offset of the button from the face of the work. The work being in unfolded condition, the stitching threads engage therein through one layer of the fabric and partly through the other and where the gage portion 30 is properly adjusted to this end they do not pass through and show on the back face of the work.

From the foregoing description of this invention it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a cloth plate, a gage Y projecting from the upper face of said cloth plate and against which the folded edge of cloth may be placed, a clamp for holding a button above the work with one stitching hole above the work and another stitching hole beyond said folded edge, said button clamp having a foot positioned to clamp the cloth against the work plate when said button is so held, and means for passing stitches alternately through said holes in the button,

said stitches passing through the work when through the hole in the button thereabove.

2. In combination, a cloth plate, a gage member against which the folded edge por- 5 tion of cloth may engage, a gage member against which the marginal edge of the cloth may engage, and means for positioning a button adjacent to said folded edge to be secured thereto at the line of fold and at a predetermined distance from said edge margin.

3. In combination, a cloth plate having a throat therethrough, and a gage upstanding from said plate, said gage having a portion fixed to said plate at one side of said throat and a portion fixed at one end to said fixed portion and adjustable at its other end to overlie said throat to a greater or less extent, and means for effecting such adjustment.

4. In combination, a cloth plate having a throat therethrough, a gage member carried by said cloth plate, said gage member having two portions defined by a kerf extending therebetween, means for securing one of said portions to the upper face of said cloth plate at one side of said throat, an adjusting screw passed through said portion and bearing against the adjacent face of the other of said face portions for adjusting the other portion relative to said throat, said other portion having a notch therein in substantial registry with said throat for the passage of a sewing needle.

5. In combination, a button clamp having a pair of opposed jaws for engaging a but ton, one only of said jaws having a foot for engaging work to which a button held by said clamp is to be secured and a work gage beneath the other of said jaws.

6. In combination, a button clamp having a pair of opposed jaws for clamping a button, one only of said jaws having secured thereto and adjustable toward and from the other jaw a downwardly projecting foot for engaging work to which a button carried by said clamp is to be secured and a work gage beneath said other jaw.

7. In combination, a button clamp having a pair of opposed jaws for clamping a button, each of said jaws having upper and lower lip members projecting inwardly beyond the button edge, one only of said lower lip members being provided with a downwardly extending foot for engaging work to which a button carried by said clamp is to be secured and a work gage beneath the other of said jaws.

8. A button clamp having a pair of opposed jaws for clamping a button, each of said jaws having upper and lower lip members projecting inwardly beyond the button edge, one only of said lower lip members being provided with a downwardly extending foot for engaging work to which a button carried by said clamp is to be secured, and

means for securing said footed lip member to its jaw for projection with relation to the button to an adjustable extent.

9. A button clamp having a pair of 0pposed jaws for clamping a button, each of said jaws having upper and lower lip members projecting inwardly beyond the but ton edge, one only of said lower lip members being provided with a downwardly extending foot for engaging work to which a button carried by said clamp is to be secured, and screw means for securing said footed lip member back from its button-engaging portion to its jaw with capability of angular adjustment to permit variation in its extent of projection relative to the button.

10. In combination, a cloth plate, a gage projecting from the upper face of said cloth plate and against which the folded edge of cloth may be placed, a gage against which the marginal edge of the cloth may engage, a clamp for holding a button above the work with one stitching hole above the work and another stitching hole beyond said folded edge and at a predetermined distance from said marginal edge gage, said button clamp having a foot positioned to clamp the cloth against the work plate when said button is so eld, and means for passing stitches alternately through said holes in the button, said stitches passing through the work and through the hole in the button thereabove.

In testimony whereof I have fixed signature.

MICHAEL MoCANN. 

